Lemon wedge server



Nov. 5, 1968 T. s. GoRToN, .1R

LEMON WEDGE SERVER Originalv Filed March 11, 1964 WWNUJII] INVENTOR. V 7omas S. Gol-fo@ Jh ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,409,059 LEMON WEDGE SERVER Thomas S. Gorton, Jr., 82 Larchwood Drive, Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 351,112, Mar 11, 1964. This application July 7, 1966, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 146-3) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pronged implement particularly adapted for piercing and holding a lemon wedge and having sharp cutting surfaces against which the lemon pulp may be pressed to extract the juice.

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel and improved server or holder of the character specified Whose structure is such that a lemon wedge applied to the server may be manipulated by the fingers against portions of the server designe-d to break the pulp of the lemon whereby to efficiently extract a maximum amount of juice from the lemon wedge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved lemon Wedge server which is characterized by structure providing size control of the portions of lemon wedges served in the restaurant trade.

With these general objects in View and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the lemon wedge server as hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a lemon wedge server embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the server shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are front and side elevations, respectively, of a modified form of lemon wedge server embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the same.

In general the present invention contemplates a dining utensile or server adapted to hold a slice or wedge of lemon for use at the table. In practice the server is held in one hand, and the lemon wedge may be squeezed against the server and the pulp moved back and forth against the server by the thumb and fingers of the other hand to extract the juice for application to the food being served. The present server is provided with a portion which extends through the wedge and anchors the wedge on the server so as to prevent inadvertent displacement of the wedge from the server while the wedge is being served and during use. The present server is further provide-d with a series of opposed sharp serrations, or the like, against which portions of the pulp may be squeezed to more readily break the pulp or juice buds of the lemon so as to more efficiently extract the juice. In one embodiment of the invention the portion which extends through the wedge is provided with an ice enlarged end which serves to retain the wedge on the server. In a modied embodiment of t-he invention the end portion which extends through the lemon wedge may be formed in the shape of a fork which may be used as an oyster or shrimp fork after the lemon wedge `is removed. In practice the server may comprise a molded plastic material.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, 10 represents a lemon wedge server embodying the present invention which is provided with a wedge supporting and retaining portion 12 and an elongated handle` portion 14. The handle may be substantially cylindrical in cross section at its lower end 16 and may taper up to a substantially rectangular cross sectional portion 18 having elongated depressed portions 20 on opposite sides.

The wedge retaining or serving portion 12 is substantially V-shaped in front elevation, as shown in FIG. 1, having opposing flared legs or side walls 22, 24 spaced away from the handle portion 14 and connected by a web 26 having transverse serrations 28 on opposite sides thereof providing sharp cutting edges 30. As shown, both surfaces of the web are concave. Upwardly extended portions of the opposing legs 22, 24 are provided with opposed inwardly and downwardly inclined hook portions 32. The upper edge of the serrated web 26 is cut out in a V-shape, as indicated at 34, and extending upwardly from the bottom of the cutout is an elongated, upwardly tapering spike 36 provided at its upper end with an enlarged head or cap portion 38. The head 38 is provided with a pointed upper end, and the base of the head is larger than the adjacent end of the spike.

From the description thus far it will be seen that in use a lemon slice or wedge 40, as shown in broken lines, may be impaled on the spike 36 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The lemon wedge, which is V-shaped in cross section, is impaled through the pulp and through the rind, the enlarged head portion 38 extended beyond the outer surface of the rind securely serving to anchor the wedge in place on the server. The sides of the wedge are received between t-he opposed legs or side walls 22, 24, and the bottom of the wedge may rest against the lower portion of the V-shaped cutout 34. In practice the wedge is preferably impaled medially of the length of the wedge, and during the impaling operation the V-shaped sides of the wedge engage the inwardly and downwardly inclined hook portions 32 which are embedded in the pulp to assist in preventing inadvertent displacement of the lemon wedge and to hold the wedge in proper alignment with the cutting edges 30. In practice the hook portions 32 may have a sharp upper edge 42 `to facilitate application of the lemon wedge to the server.

With the lemon wedge thus disposed in the server it will be seen that the user may grasp the ends of the wedge of lemon between the thumb and forefnger and press inwardly to engage t-he pulp with the sharp cutting edges 30 formed by the serrations on opposite sides of the intervening web 26 to cut into the pulp to release the juice. It will also be apparent .that the lemon wedge may be further manipulated up and down and back and forth against the serrated edges to efficiently extract a maximum amount of the lemon juice. As shown, the side walls of the opposing legs 22, 24 extend beyond the surface of the web portion to aid in containing the lemon pulp and the juice and to help prevent the juice from squirting during the squeezing operation. The concave surfaces of the web also aid in the above. It will be understood that forms of sharp projections or formations other than the serrations herein described may be used.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, in a modified form of lemon wedge server the impaling spike is replaced by a fork-shaped portion which extends upwardly from 3 a serrated web portion 52 extending between opposing legs 54, 56 of the V-shaped server 55 and formed integrally with a handle portion 58. In this embodiment the upwardly extended portions of the legs and the hook portions are eliminated. In use the prongs of the fork may be extended through the wedge of lemon, and the ends f the wedge may then be squeezed inwardly against the sharp edges of the serrations, as previously described, to eiciently release the juice from the lemon.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides an eflicient, economical and attractive lemon wedge server which aids portion control of lemon wedges.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. A lemon wedge server comprising a utensil having a handle portion and a server portion, said server portion including a pair of side walls diverging in a direction away from said handle portion, a web portion interconnecting said Side walls, said side Walls extending substantially perpendicularly to, and having side edges along the opposite sides of said web portion, said web portion having transverse serrations between said side walls and on the opposite sides of said web portion, and a spike extending frorn said web portion upon which a lemon Wedge can be impaled, the diverging portions of said side walls projecting beyond said web portion.

2. A lemon wedge server as dened in claim 1 wherein the transverse serrations comprise cutting projections against which the pulp of the lemon wedge may be pressed to extract the juice.

3. A lemon wedge server as dened in claim 1 wherein 4 the spike is elongated and provided with a head portion arranged to anchor the wedge on the server.

4. A lemon wedge server as defined in claim 1 wherein the ends of the projecting diverging portions of said side walls are provided with inwardly directed hook portions adapted to be embedded in the pulp when the wedge is applied to the server to prevent the wedge from turning relative to the surfaces of the web.

5. A lemon wedge server comprising a utensil having a handle portion and a server portion, said server portion including a pair of side walls, a web portion interconnecting said side walls, said side walls extending substantially perpendicular to, and having side edges along the opposite sides of said web portion, said web portion having cutting surfaces on both sides, and a spike extending from said web portion upon which a lemon wedge can be impaled, said side walls projecting beyond said web portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 28,446 4/ 1898 Richardson 30-322 X 99,341 2/ 1870 Patterson 30--322 130,9'23 8/1872 Laurence 30-137 187,363 2/1877 Dixon 30-322 X 1,366,610 1/1921. Teller 30-169 X 1,787,683 1/1931 Innes 30-322 FOREIGN PATENTS 334,116 12/ 1903 France. 737,471 7/ 1943 Germany.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner. 

